As I read this 2025 picture book, I found myself wondering “Do these guys know how good they are?” And at one point, “Do these […]
Look at Me!
At this point, you should just assume I’m going to give works by Steve Jenkins (or Steve Jenkins and Robin Page, like this one) positive […]
How I Sold 100,000 Children’s Books
As an aspiring writer of picture books (and kidlit more generally), I read books and articles about how to write these works. That’s why I […]
The Gruffalo
The original book version of The Gruffalo has sold well over 10 million copies. Julia Donaldson has a website for her writing, but The Gruffalo […]
Pete the Cat’s Cool New Ride
I’m always of two minds about Pete the Cat. On one hand, Pete himself is great. He’s an appealing character, and the colorful, cartoonish illustrations […]
Oh No!
Oh No! gets a big oh yes! from me. Oh No! (Or how my science project destroyed the world) is a 2010 picture book written […]
Frog on a Log?
Kes Gray’s 2014 picture book Frog on a Log? is wonderful nonsense of a sort much more common in children’s books than adult literature. The […]
Spooky
Sally Anne Garland’s 2025 picture book Spooky is good, focused, unified, simple picture book. I use those terms because some picture books are quite complicated […]
Joan in the Cone
Children’s books always have two audiences: adults and kids. They often have more demands on them than adult fiction. A popular novel can be fun […]
Iktomi and the Ducks
A few weeks ago I read my first Paul Goble book, Iktomi and the Berries. I stumbled across Goble when looking for other things, but […]